Reasons behind your low libido

Has your sex life become a bit stale of late? If you and your partner aren't enjoying intimacy as much as you used to, one of the following reasons could be to blame.

Good Health has listed some surprising causes of low libido, starting with a bunged up nose. It may not sound like an obvious trigger, but a study conducted four years ago by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden discovered men who had no sense of smell had a lot less sexual partners than those whose nasal function was normal. It was also found that woman who had no sense of smell felt insecure in their relationship. This could be to do with a human's recognition of pheromones, scents which are given off via sweat, affecting sexual behaviour.

"A lot of social signals are transported through the olfactory channel (the nose lining and associated nerves) and a depleted sense of smell makes it likely that you might miss them," study leader Psychologist Dr Ilona Croy noted.

If you sense a cold coming on, quickly use a nasal spray and up your vitamin intake to avoid it causing stuffiness.

Another surprising thing that could be ruining women's sex lives is high heels. Running around in stilettos all day causes postural muscles, those that keep you upright, to go into overdrive, which could lead to sex being less enjoyable.

"If the pelvic floor muscles are chronically contracted, they can become tight and therefore restrict the passage of nerve impulses going through them to the reproductive organs and arousal tissue," Dr Eden Fromberg, a New York-based gynaecologist, explained.

"Wearing high heels all day can affect a woman's orgasm - there is a reported improvement in female patients who retire their heels or use them only rarely."

Even sitting at a desk all day for work might have an impact. Not getting up and stretching enough means the muscles of the pelvic floor and psoas muscle, which runs from the lower back to the groin, aren't contracted enough. This means the signals that pass along the nerves to the reproductive organs are affected.

"Bucket chairs and recliners are the worst for exacerbating the sorts of postural problems that can lead to compromised sexual pleasure," Dr Fromberg added.

So make sure you get up every so often and get your nerves moving - your bedroom pleasure could be jeopardised if not!